One parent says children wearing face masks is ‘a bridge too far’ while others say it will keep kids safe and help curb the spread of COVID-19.

Officers responded to more than 107,000 DV incidents last year – one every five minutes – amid an increase in reporting.

The Prime Minister is backing NSW to reopen under current vaccination targets, as Victoria’s lockdown extends into the regions, and curfews will be in place for parts of Sydney from Monday.

Major changes to our cities are already under way as staff and businesses embrace new hybrid remote/office work patterns.

Any veneration of the 80 per cent vaccination threshold as the ultimate benchmark for an end to lockdowns is premature.

A western Sydney-based lawyer with 200 clients trying to leave Afghanistan for Australia to join their relatives is warning many are being turned away at the airport in Kabul or are struggling with instructions from the federal government.

Police say their response was justified by violence in the crowd, but the Police Accountability Project said pepper guns could cause serious injuries.

What are the key characteristics of the Australian accent? How has it evolved – and is there only one, a couple or many?

He danced like no one was watching. His moves were caught on a live stream of the giraffe enclosure at Melbourne Zoo. The footage of zookeeper Adam Porter gave a COVID-worried world a moment of joy.

Western Australia will welcome about 80 more people escaping war-torn Afghanistan this week, with the evacuees expected to join the 96 already in a Perth quarantine hotel. 

A 30-year-old and a 25-year-old, both from Loganlea, have been charged after the owner of a golf club near Hervey Bay was found dead last week.

Residents have called local councillors in tears to protest the destruction of hundreds of mature gum trees and fig trees in the city’s north.

In the week he was due to receive his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, Jett Stanton returned a positive test.

I am so afraid of the damage that government policies are having on a generation of children, without even commenting on the rest of the community’s wellbeing.

This Liberal government, unlike Malcolm Fraser’s, has chosen the cruel and shameful option.

Bunnings stores were busy on Sunday with people queuing to get into some ahead of their closure to retail customers across Greater Sydney from Monday.

The man, believed to be 39 years old, was swimming about 30 kilometers south of Kalbarri at Lucky Bay on Friday before he disappeared. 

The collapse of the Afghan government means an elite team of state and federal police homicide detectives will now struggle to interview Afghan witnesses to alleged Australian crimes.

Schools are helping students recover from speech development delays and learning loss brought on by Victoria’s extended lockdowns.

VCE students are struggling with the instability of a pandemic and remote learning while missing important academic and social benchmarks. If vaccines are the solution, why are they reaching us so late?

Victoria Police’s Chief Commissioner hit out at Saturday’s protests, led by “angry men”, as rally organisers revealed plans for another march next month.

Even in the most relaxed suburbs, the stress of lockdown can trigger strife on the morning walk.

One protester carried a sign saying Qld’s Chief Health Officer was a “health hazard”, while another said the 830 cases in NSW on Sunday was “fate”.

Several impounded dogs have been shot by a rural council under its interpretation of COVID-19 restrictions.

Small talk with friends and strangers is special in these dismal lockdown days.

Three deaths were reported  - a man in his 60s, a man in his 70s and a woman in her 80s  - bringing the death toll from the outbreak which began on June 16 to 71.

Deputy Premier Steven Miles also said he was disgusted by Saturday’s anti-lockdown protesters, describing them as “reckless” and “shameful”.

The week in photos from our award winning staff photographers and regular contributing photographers at The Age.

The week in photos from the award winning Sydney Morning Herald and Financial review photographers.

Health officials said 55 of the 65 COVID-19 cases are linked to current outbreaks and 10 are under investigation, while hundreds of Royal Melbourne Hospital staff have been furloughed due to a patient testing positive.

We must not get carried away on a wave of Victorian-era enthusiasm, particularly as COVID has inured us somewhat to what-the-hell levels of government spending.

Conventions and etiquette are needed to co-exist in the real world, but this is not the case on digital platforms.

Captain Jason Scanes is absolutely gutted by the federal government’s failure to get our friends out of Afghanistan.

There are disillusioned Coalition voters aplenty, but there are simmering issues that may flare just in time for the Prime Minister.

Building design could be overhauled and employers would be required to ensure clean air under ventilation overhauls that some believe could be as important as vaccines to Australia’s pandemic response.

Judaism is an ancient religion and doesn’t necessarily like change. But sometimes change is inevitable.

Sole traders suffering due to lockdowns have pivoted to making and selling vaccine-themed cakes, clothes and accessories.

Working women carrying extra care and home-schooling are going to the wall in the latest lockdowns, but experts say much can be done to support their wellbeing.

No longer the overlooked cousin, RNA is now front and centre and looks set to change the world.

Almost a third of the students offered a place at the state’s highest-achieving school, James Ruse Agricultural High, turn it down. The principal suspects it is partly due to misconceptions the school is a high-pressure ATAR factory.

The three vessels were due to replace two of the iconic Freshwater ferries on the Manly route later this year, but delays to the Emerald-class’ arrival have pushed back the impending retirement of the older boats.

Education Minister Sarah Mitchell urged families to get used to the idea of resuming normal activities with COVID-19 circulating in the community.

Trivia buffs: test your knowledge with today's interactive superquiz and target.

Sydney’s prolonged lockdown has had little impact on the number of motorists requiring assistance despite road traffic falling as much as 50 per cent during the latest COVID-19 outbreak.

The tighter lockdown on Sydneysiders’ exercise and outdoor recreation has highlighted unequal access to public open space.

As the lockdown enters its ninth week, The Sun-Herald has heard multiple accounts of neighbours or strata committees across Sydney writing to residents to complain about children making noise or playing on common property.

Kids are missing out on extracurricular activities vital for their wellbeing and development as Sydney’s lockdown drags on for months.

Taronga Zoo’s plans to build a new reptile exhibit have raised questions about whether its harbourside site is becoming “Disneyfied”.

A difficult few months will involve stepping stones to freedom and educating the public about living with COVID-19.

They fled to Australia and were subject to harsh detention policies. Now they are pleading for government assistance to rescue their families from Taliban rule.